An endoscope is a medical instrument used for examining and treating internal body parts such as the alimentary canals, airways, the gastrointestinal system, and other organ systems. Conventionally used endoscopes comprise an insertion tube, either flexible or rigid, carrying illuminators such as light-emitting diodes (LED) or a fiber optic light guide for directing light from an external light source situated at a proximal end of the tube to a distal tip. Also, most endoscopes are equipped with one or more channels through which medical devices, such as forceps, probes, and other tools, may be passed. Further, during an endoscopic procedure, fluids, such as water, saline, drugs, contrast material, dyes, or emulsifiers are often introduced or evacuated via the insertion tube. A plurality of channels, one each for introduction and suctioning of liquids, may be provided within the insertion tube.
Endoscopes have attained great acceptance within the medical community, since they provide a means for performing procedures with minimal patient trauma, while enabling the physician to view the internal anatomy of the patient. Over the years, numerous endoscopes have been developed and categorized according to specific applications, such as cystoscopy, colonoscopy, bronchoscope, laparoscopy, upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy among others. Endoscopes may be inserted into the body's natural orifices or through an incision in the skin.
Endoscopes, that are currently being used, typically have a front camera for viewing the internal organ, such as the colon, and an illuminator for illuminating the field of view of the camera. Some endoscopes also comprise one or more side cameras and the corresponding illuminators for viewing the internal organs that are not in direct field of view of the front camera. The camera(s) and illuminators are located in a tip of the endoscope and are used to capture images of the internal walls of the body cavity being endoscopically scanned. The captured images are sent to a control unit coupled with the endoscope via one of the channels present in the insertion tube, for being displayed on a screen coupled with the control unit.
While endoscopes help in the detection and cure of a number of diseases in a non-invasive manner, conventional endoscopes suffer from the drawback of having a limited field of view. The field of view is limited by the narrow internal geometry of organs as well as the insertion port, which may be body's natural orifices or an incision in the skin. The image of the body cavity captured by the cameras such as a front camera is displayed on a display screen coupled with the camera. Sometimes irregularities such as polyps are observed forming on internal walls of a body cavity being scanned. A clear display of the polyp during an endoscopic procedure such as colonoscopy is important in order to enable a medical practitioner to operate on the polyp by inserting medical tools via the working channel of the endoscope. It is advantageous to position a region of interest like the polyp in a distinct location such as a center of the display screen while operating on the polyp.
It is often difficult to maintain the display of the polyp constantly in the center of the display screen due to the movement of the body cavity, such as the colon, in which the polyp may be detected. It may also be beneficial for the medical practitioner to record the location of the polyp for operating upon it in the future.
For accurately and easily operating upon a region of interest within a body cavity endoscopically, it is essential that the location of the display of the region of interest within an image captured by the endoscope be maintained constantly at a desired location all through the endoscopic procedure.
Hence, there is need for a method enabling an operating medical practitioner to maintain the position of the region of interest at a desired location, such as in the center of the display screen, during an endoscopic procedure.